A Campaign Finance Movement Turns Its Lonely Eyes To NY

ICYMI: Filmmaker Steve Cowan joined me on CapTon last night prior to the screening of his documentary, “Pricele$$”, about the absolute power of money in national politics, and expressed confidence that Americans are finally sufficiently fed up to demand reform.

It would be extremely helpful, Cowan said, if New York would take a leadership position in this fight.

The Assembly Democrats have proposed a bill to establish a public campaign finance system, but so far, the Senate GOP isn’t interested and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, while in favor of the concept of taxpayer-funded campaigns, hasn’t put any muscle behind the measure.

“I think change is coming, and I don’t know when it’s coming for the state of New York,” Cowan told me. “But I think all eyes are actually on New York.”

“The whole national movement to mandate this kind of reform…if New York got into a position to really lead on this, I think it would help change in Washington, D.C.”

“Other states have done it already: Airzona, Maine, Connecticut. But New York is the Big Apple, so to speak.”

Cowan’s visit to the Capital Region from his home state of Oregon just so happened to fall on a day when Cuomo decried the power of money at the Capitol, calling it “unbelievable,” just hours before he headed to Buffalo for a $5,000-a-head fundraiser to benefit his 2014 re-election campaign.

The Buffalo News’ Bob McCarthy reported this morning that Cuomo’s take from the event was about $450,000, making it one of the most successful political fundraisers in WNY history.

That sum, according to McCarthy, is thought to be the most ever earned locally for a gubernatorial campaign.

On April 25, Cuomo, who made public campaign finance part of his 2010 campaign reform agenda and highlighted it in his 2012 State of the State address, had this to say on whether action might be taken this year:

“Campaign finance, which is going to be difficult to get an agreement, I think if you listen to the two sides of the issue on this, you’ll get a sense right away of the gap.”

The Senate Democrats held a press conference this week to declare their collective support for campaign finance reform, and insisted the popular governor could convince their Republican colleagues to move on this if he really wanted to.

Cuomo had just over $14 million on hand as of Jan. 15. He’s expected to have far more than that when the next filing is made public in mid-July.